We all know that Arsene Wenger is a tremendous manager. But which gaffers were pure crap this season? Oh, so many to choose from. When thinking about this I took into account a number of factors: Coaches experience, quality of players, budget and expectations. So, here is my list of the five worst coaching jobs this season:
1. Gerard Houllier, Liverpool ? How does this guy still have a job? They had plenty of talent ? Owen, Gerrard, Hyypia ? and they brought in the likes of Harry Kewell and yet they still can?t do better than fighting for fourth place.
2. Kevin Keegan, Man City ? How does this guy keep getting jobs? His brutality with the England team pre-Sven should have been enough to keep him from coaching anything bigger than a local U8 girl?s team. Plenty of talent ? Anelka, Wright-Phillips, McManaman ? and yet they are just above the relegation zone.
3. Sir Alex Ferguson, Man United ? An absolutely horrible job this year. Got rid of Beckham and Veron, two quality playmakers, and replaced them with? Djemba-Djemba and C. Ronaldo. Also added David Bellion and Kleberson who did only slightly more for Man U than you or I did. Then, during the January transfer window he failed to get cover for Rio. In all fairness, he?s a good manager who just completely lost the plot this year.
4. Sir Bobby Robson, Newcastle United ? Here?s a guy who has passed his sell-by date. Shearer, Dyer, Ameobi, Bellamy and other quality players in the side, yet they can?t do better than a desperate prayer for fourth place. Yeah, they?ve had injuries, but so did everybody else. Great managers figure out ways to overcome.
5. ?Insert Name Here?, Spurs ? Not sure who this should go to, but how can a team with Robbie Keane, Freddie Kanoute, Jermaine Defoe, Stephen Carr, Ledley King and Casey Keller suck so badly? I?m not saying those guys are all superstars, but surely they are as good as Bolton, Aston Villa and Birmingham City, no? Just an utterly crap organization.
6 Responses to “Five worst coaching jobs in the EPL this season”
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May 14th, 2004 at 8:21 am
Rick, I absolutely agree. I’ve said similiar things in my previews. Spurs problems are not the manager though, I believe it’s solely on the shoulders of upper offices. I think their problem is that they spend too much time “almost” signing the best instead of getting out there and doing it. As for Houllier, I still think he has naked pictures of someone!
May 14th, 2004 at 8:48 am
A little harsh on Bobby Robson IMO. I think that he’s done a good job elevating the magpies above the midtable team that they really are. Sure they have some good players, but they’re basically doing it with smoke and mirrors because they don’t have a midfield anchor like Paddy, Keane, Gerrard, etc. In addition, they had a very good UEFA Cup run.
May 14th, 2004 at 9:08 am
I agree with the list almost to the letter. Except, if there were a place for an “also-ran”, you have to call Mr. Ranieri to task, don’t you?
I know he’s a great guy, and his players love him. And the concept of buying a trophy was never really as easy as it looked, especially with The Arsenal being just too good for anyone this season. But some of his inexplicable tinkering very nearly had them undone this year and they dropped a few points that just never should have hit the ground. With a relatively healthy side all season (save Cudicini whose return actually proved somewhat unfortunate), perhaps they may have done better.
In other words, a strong side whose manager’s eccentric decisions may have alone held them back in many occasions, and rescued only by a ManU side that went belly-up under His Purpleness.
Not a bad manager, but consistently baffling.
May 14th, 2004 at 11:08 am
Hmmmm…
not sure I agree with some of these…
FIRST, if you are going to call the likes of Alex Ferguson to task… then surely RANIERI has to be on the list as well. I think C.Ronaldo played pretty well for United… they just lacked that “IT” this year… and went south when RIO was banned.
They’ll still win the FA CUP… which is all we managed last season.
Ranieri… won f*** all… with all those players and all that talent. Not an easy job, but what managing job is? I think most managers out there would DIE for the chance to coach the star-studded team Chelsea has become. Ranieri has to go. He’d top my list.
Keegan / ManCity… I actually LIKE the way his teams play. They are entertaining to watch!! They just can’t win much with the lack of defense.
Spurtz… the front office is a mess. They can put whatever fall guy in as manager they like, but until they straighten out the TOP level… they are doomed. They “might” be a sleeping giant… who can move up the table in the near future.
Houllier/Liverpool… they are CLOSE… close to making the leap into the elite… or… going south and needed to REBUILD… Houllier should have been fired last year… barely 4th place and no chance at any trophy is not acceptable for the Mighty Liverpool.
and…. if I am not mistaken… there were a few folks here on Arsenal America even… who perhaps thought ARSENE WENGER should go… after that little BLIP on the radar at Old Trafford early in the year. If RVN had managed to score on the penalty… what a different season it might have been for both Arsenal and United. We obviously would not be trying to keep our undefeated streak alive on the last day!
AMEN!
May 15th, 2004 at 12:54 am
I’m still keeping my fingers crossed the Millwall pulls it off in the final. Go Lions!
May 15th, 2004 at 2:02 am
Sorry Rick, can’t abide by a bad word said about Sir Bobby. Toon under him have fought (almost 100%) tooth and nail for their places the last few years, back when they seemed destined for the *2nd* Division. All respect to the man. Just some bad luck this season.
— Geoff